Dielectric Analysis of Dynamic Fouling Behavior on Surface of Polyethersulfone Composite Ultrafiltration Membrane

A dielectric analysis model for the fouling layer on the polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration （UF） membrane and solution system, which consists of the solution, concentration polarization layer （CPL）, and cake layer, was established by virtue of the interfacial polarization and the electrostatic field theory. The effect of some important parameters, such as the depth, conductivity of CPL, and cake layer, on the dielectric spectroscopy （or dielectric relaxation properties） of the UF system was discussed by the parameter sensitivity analysis and the dielectric measurement. The simulations indicate that the CPL can be created rapidly and the cake layer formation is the dynamic balance process of growth and erosion in the process of UF. The key factor affecting on the dielectric spectrum of UF system is the electrical properties of the CPL and the cake layer. In comparison to the results of dielectric measurement, the simulations indicate that the model proposed in this work is valid and reliable to some degree for describing and explaining the dielectric relaxation phenomenon in UF system. It is very important to further understand the fouling behavior of membrane surface and optimize the controlling techniques of membrane fouling in the process of UF.

Inverse estimation for unknown fouling geometry on inner wall of forced-convection pipe

A conjugate gradient method （CGM） based on the inverse algorithm is used to estimate the unknown fouling-layer profile on the inner wall of a pipe system using simulated temperature measurements taken within the pipe wall. It is assumed that no prior information is available about the functional form of the unknown profile. Therefore, the procedure is classified as the function estimation in inverse calculation. The temperature data obtained from the direct problem are used to simulate the temperature measurements. The accuracy of the inverse analysis is examined using the simulated exact and inexact temperature measurements. The results show that the excellent estimation of the fouling-layer profile can be obtained for the test case considered in this study. The technique presented in this study can be used in a warning system to call for pipe maintenance when the thickness of fouling exceeds a predefined criterion.

Metabolic uncoupler,3,3’,4’,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide addition for sludge reduction and fouling control in a gravity-driven membrane bioreactor

The gravity-driven membrane bioreactor(MBR)system is promising for decentralized sewage treatment because of its low energy consumption and maintenance requirements.However,the growing sludge not only increases membrane fouling,but also augments operational complexities(sludge discharge).We added the metabolic uncoupler 3,3’,4f,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide(TC$)to the system to deal with the mentioned issues.Based on the results,TCS addition effectively decreased sludge ATP and sludge yield(reduced by 50%).Extracellular polymeric substances(EPS;proteins and polysaccharides)decreased with the addition of TCS and were transformed into dissolved soluble microbial products(SMPs)in the bulk solution,leading to the break of sludge floes into small fragments.Permeability was increased by more than two times,reaching 60-70 L/m2/h bar when 10-30 mg/L TCS were added,because of the reduced suspended sludge and the formation of a thin cake layer with low EPS levels.Resistance analyses confirmed that appropriate dosages of TCS primarily decreased the cake layer and hydraulically reversible resistances.Permeability decreased at high dosage(50 mg/L)due to the release of excess sludge fragments and SMP into the supernatant,with a thin but more compact fouling layer with low bioactivity developing on the membrane surface,causing higher cake layer and pore blocking resistances.Our study provides a fundamental understanding of how a metabolic uncoupler affects the sludge and bio-fouling layers at different dosages,with practical relevance for in situ sludge reduction and membrane fouling alleviation in MBR systems.

Structure and flow calculation of cake layer on microfiltration membranes

Submerged membrane bioreactors （SMBR） are widely used in wastewater treatment. The permeability of a membrane declines rapidly because of the formation of a cake layer on the membrane surface. In this paper, a multiple staining protocol was conducted to probe the four major foulants in the cake layer formed on a filtration membrane. Fluorescent images of the foulants were obtained using a confocal laser scanning microscope （CLSM）. The three dimensional structure of the cake layer was reconstructed, and the internal flow was calculated using computational fluid dynamics （CFD）. Simulation results agreed well with the experimental data on the permeability of the cake layer during filtration and showed better accuracy than the calculation by Kozeny-Carman method. B-D-Glucopyranose polysaccharides and proteins are the two main foulants with relatively large volume fractions, while a-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides and nucleic acids have relatively large specific surface areas. The fast growth of B-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides in the volume fraction is mainly responsible for the increase in cake volume fraction and the decrease in permeability. The specific area, or the aggregation/dispersion of foulants, is less important to its permeability compared to its volume fraction.